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India and Religious Suicide
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we have canonical examples of Bud- our admiration even when your better dhist saints who committed self-mur- judgment is painfully perplexed over der and who have been held up as the minutia of the fine art to which ideals to the fraternity-Siha, Sappa- the Jains have reduced the perpetra. dasa, Vakkali and Godhika. Hence I tion of laying violent hands on oneshould not be surprised if there is self. "If the thought comes to a monk,wide divergence of views in the Bur- that he is sick and not able to remese monasteries over the self-starva- gularly mortify the flesh that monk tion of the Pongyi Wizaya and others. should reduce his diet and so dimi. At any rate, suicide to promote po- nish his sins' The terrible vow of litical ends is not in keeping with the "Ingitamarana” consists in starving accepted tenets of the Buddha.
oneself while keeping the body conThe Jain Attitude,
fined within a limited space. Such
so-called "euthenasia" is usually perBut if the attitude of Brahmanism
mitted only to those who have during and Buddhism towards self-slaughter
12 years, under gone preparatory in the name of religion be ambigious,
penance consisting chiefly in protraamong the Jains, religious suicide is
cted periods of fasting. The "Acha: unequivocally encouraged under certain definite conditions, and elaborate
ranga Sutra" describes in detail the rules are laid down for the same. It
methods of starvation. "Speaking the is permitted to ascetics who have
truth free from passion, crossing the risen to the highest degree of per
“Samsara," abiding in resoluteness. fection and are ripe for Nirvana. "It
overcoming the pains and troubles and is better for an ascetic that he should
trusting in the religion, the postulant
accomplishes the fearful religious death. take poison". says the Acharanga Sutra. A man who cannot conquer
This course has been adopted by his sensualities is allowed to destroy
many who are free from delusion. himself by hanging so that he may
It is good, wholesome, proper, gratiput an end to his strifes and tempta. fying meritorious. It is laid down tions. A man whose sickness prevents
that the monk should not long for him from persevering in a life of
life nor wish even for death. He austerities is permitted to commit should yearn for neither life nor its suicide by rejecting food and drink. opposite "Without food he should lie The laws of penance and self-morti. down, bear the pains which attack fication are extremely severe among him. When crawling animals or such the Jains and their practice extorts as live on high or below, feed on his
